If you are a first time wearer of contact lenses, inserting the lenses can be a scary experience. Fear not though; it’s not as hard as it may seem at first. Millions of Americans put contacts into their eyes safely every day. After reading this article and practicing a bit, you will too! Below are some easy to follow instructions on how to insert your lenses.
Step 1: Wash your Hands
This is an obvious step, yet so many people skip it. You will want to thoroughly wash your hands since you are about to touch lenses that are going in your eyes. Washing your hands will keep germs out of your eyes, which will certainly reduce irritation once your lenses are in.
Step 2: Open the lenses
That was easy! Open carefully so the lenses do not fall out.
Step 3: Find the right direction
This step can be tricky for newbies. You will want to make sure the lens is facing the right direction when it goes in. Soft contact lenses are just that, soft! This is great on your eyes, but can be confusing at first as the lens will flip inside out. To see if it is facing the right direction, simply apply a little pressure to the bottom of the lens. If it flips, it’s probably inside out. If you are still confused, try putting it in. You will know very fast if it is inside-out, and then you can compare it to the other lens as a reference.
Step 4: Hold Eye Open
Lots of people like to do this part differently, but I will describe how I do it. Once you get comfortable doing it, you will surely develop your own methods.
I use the middle finger on my right hand and the middle finger on my left hand to hold the eyelids open.
Step 5: Insert Contact Lens
Now we are getting to the good stuff! Put the lens on your pointer finger and gently press it against your eyelid. With your eye open wide thanks to step four, the lens should go flush against the eye.
Step 6: Blink a few Times
Step 6 is really easy. Once the lens is in simply blink a few times. This will give your eye a little more moisture and ensure the lens is in the right way.
Once it’s in comfortably you are good to go! All you have to do is repeat these steps on the other eye and you are done. Congratulations on safely and properly inserting your contact lenses. Check back next time for tips on how to remove the contact lenses.
Image by: Suanie
